Les Pavillons Hotel

We went to Mauritius for a week in November following a week in Cape Town. The combination of the two destinations was brilliant and with a direct flight from CT to Mauritius it's very easy. I spent so long looking for the right hotel to stay in and was so pleased with my choice. Les Pavillions is a great hotel and if you want a relaxing holiday with more couples then families, then this is the hotel for you. We went All-Inclusive which I think is the right choice because the drinks and food on the menu are pretty pricey and you really don't need to eat other than breakfast, lunch and dinner so I think the fact there is no additional snacks on offer is a bonus! The beach is excellent and there are no bugs or mosquitos out to get you.. The food is good.. lunch especially seeing as its a la carte rather than buffet and the breakfast is great with choices of pancakes, waffles, fruit and cooked english. I would agree with some opinions that the superior rooms aren't worth the additional money (from the standard) and would suggest you opt for Deluxe if you can. We were lucky enough to be in a Junior Suite and it was wonderful. All in all a fab hotel with great staff which made for a magical holiday.. so nice we're doing it all over again this November.

My wife, 10year old and myself have just returned from a week at Les Pavillions in Mauritius. We had an amazing room, 252 right near the beach at the boathouse end and the view was stunning. The weather was varied but that made it all the more interesting, heavy rain through to cloudless skies we had it all and each day was a new. The staff at this resort are without exception friendly and professional, even the gardeners say hello, the cleaners are freindly and happy. This made the trip, we spent a great deal of time at the boathouse taking advantage of the free watersports (even motorised ones). The staff taught my 10 year old daughter to waterski and she spent a load of time chatting to them and they really took the effort. Food was perfectly acceptable for a resort. The meals were varied with enough options that we didnt get bored and my very particular wife was quite content. The room was quite large, it could do with a refurb but certainly not enough to detract from it. Little touches like staff turning on the patio lights, turning down the beds really gave it a five star feel. Even on the beach staff came along with cold towell and cool spray to cool you off. The beach vendors were polite and no harassing. On the last day we chatted to one and found out that they are all licenced to operate within a particular resort. For this reason they treat it like a business and try and generate goodwill for the duration of the stay. I saw people getting a fruit seller to cut them pinapple everyday so he must have been doing a good job. All in all couldnt say a bad thing about the place. The manager is always around saying hello, asking if you are enjoying yourself, all in all the resort made us feel very important and welcome. I have been to the caribbean and will never again . Mauritius has better beaches, friendlier people and to top it all off Air Mauritius had the biggest legroom I have seen and they took my windsuring equipment for free.

We stayed in a deluxe room at les Pavillons Hotel for 7 nights at the end of January. We arrived a 10.30pm at the hotel and were welcome with a cold towel and a glass of sparkling wine. Checking was quick and easy, as the restaurants were close at 10.30pm, we received a food palter delivered to our room. The deluxe room is very spacious with a huge bathroom and a Jacuzzi with a window with a nice view of the sea. All deluxe rooms are on the first floor. The room was very comfortable and had a fan as well as AC. The hotel facilities are excellent and the service is very good. The food is very good at all restaurants. We were on an all inclusive package and can not recommend it enough. Mauritius is very expensive and the prices in the hotels are very high. Le Morne is very quiet, and there is no night life, so if you are looking for a relaxing holiday then that’s the place to go. The beach is amazing and the best around there. The water sports are plentiful and the team at the boat house is very friendly and always ready to help. Please be aware that the weather is very hot and the UV’s are very strong even when it’s cloudy. We had some rain but, for only 15 minutes and then the sun was back, nobody really moved from the beach when it rained because it was not for long. Some people just swam while it rained. I would definitely go back to les Pavillons, and can recommend it for people looking for a relaxing holiday in the sun.

French friends who stayed at the hotel in October gave us an unconditional recommendation and we are as enthusiastic as they with our 2 weeks spent there in December. Upon our return to our home in the South of France, my husband sent an e mail directly to the manager praising the hotel, staff and management. The service at all levels was impeccable, the slightest request attended to not only rapidly and efficiently, but always with a genuine smile, which even extended to the waiter on duty at our 4.30am breakfast in the restaurant on the morning of our departure. The staff were without exception helpful, friendly and discreet from the gardeners to the restaurant staff and the instructors at the Diving centre where my husband did his PADI certificate. There was a pervading atmosphere of calm efficency conducive to a relaxing and enjoyable holiday with every need and more besides satisfied as far as possibel. Nibbles of pizza were brought along the beach before lunch and also refreshing face cloths during the afternoon, little touches that make a difference. We had no complaints about our superior room which gave directly onto the beautifully tended gardens (nicer incidentally than the 5 star hotel next door)and beach. No damp, no mould, some ants but dealt with immediately at 10pm by 2 members of staff. Some guests may tend to forget Mauritius is in the tropics! There was no loud music blasting out all day unlike the other 4 star hotels on the other side of Les Pavillons fortunately separated from us by a public beach. Half board menus were varied and of a consistently high quality. I heartily endorse all the positive comments made by other reviewers and have only one minor complaint regarding the tennis courts. The artificial grass surface could do with replacing as the balls bounce in very surprising directions! My game is not good at the best of times but that didn't help! This is not the hotel to go to if you want shops nearby or a frantic nightlife, but my husband and I would return to Mauritius and to Les Pavillons if we get the opportunity. By the way, the birds and 3 cats around the restaurant posed frankly no problem to anyone and no doubt help control other less savoury wildlife. One tip for car hire. Look up local firms on the net. We had an excellent deal for a small car, all inclusive for 1000 rupees per day which equals 30 euros, approximately 20 GB pounds delivery and pick up at the hotel.

The main areas of the hotel were to a very high standard. Both the reception area and the bars and restaurant were extremely efficient and well run. The staff could not have been more helpful and polite. You are really looked after, especially by the staff at the main bar. On arrival, we were greeted with a drink and a cold towel, but unfortunately the member of staff that greeted us could not have been any more negative and basically told us that we should not have bothered coming at that time of year. We were then left waiting for a few hours before being allowed to our rooms. The beach and location were outstanding, fantastic views, picture white sandy beaches, and really quiet. Again the service on the beach was outstanding, free watersports with the all inclusive option, and sunbed refreshment service, which brought you drinks, food and even a member of the staff that sprayed you to keep you cool. The rooms however were in my opinion not what I expected for the amount of money we spent. We opted for the superior rooms which were closer to the beach, however we had to check at the start of the holiday that we had been put in the right room, as it was not to a high standard, with broken drawers, lamps and a fairly outdated bathroom. The food in the hotel was very good on the whole and the theme nights were a good idea. The all inclusive option though was certainly not worth the money spent, we would have saved money by going half board. You are limited a great deal on the drinks you can have, you can only have the main three meals a day, and are unable to get food at any other time, even if you pay! This is also the case if you do not like the menu on offer, which was sometimes very limited in the evening, it was either this or nothing! However saying that, the food menu for the day was excellent! The all inclusive option also did not include any ice cream, milkshakes, or the mini bar in the room. As far as night life was concerned, it was very basic and limited, and did become a bit repetative after the first week, as it is repeated each week. I would also not recommend going in September, especailly early on. It rained for most of the first week, and only became better in the second week. Once it was hot and sunny though it was indeed paradise and you forgot about the less positive areas mentioned above. All in all we had a great honeymoon and loved it, however I do not think we would return to Mauritius all inclusive again and would definately go half board next time instead, as it is not really all inclusive.

We stayed here for a fortnight for our honeymoon (we are in our late twenties) the last week in September and first week in October. The hotel was well above average and we had a fantastic time. Our room (standard/superior class) was set back from the beach (no 198), was spacious and appeared newly painted/refurbished - we thought it was of pretty good quality and it was cleaned twice a day (including towel change if required) by maids who were also very flexible with regards to cleaning times. That said, some guests staying in beach front accomodation did complain about the quality of their rooms which apparently contained dated decor and were in need of a new bathroom (ironically, I believe these were the premium priced rooms). On the negative side, the quality of entertainment in the bar did vary (I would say 50:50 good:bad), it did seem a little lifeless after 11 pm (it closes at midnight) and the tropical birds can get a little irritating during breakfast after a fortnight but there is only one feline resident not several as mentioned in an earlier review. Also, we booked with Kuoni but a company called White Sands manage bookings for all travel companies at the resort, so don't worry about shopping around for the cheapest deal, it won't be at the expense of service quality while you are there (the rep was poor/anonymous, excursions over-priced and transfer to/from the airport in a pretty cramped car). The pluses for the hotel far outweigh the negatives - impeccable service in both the bar and restaurant and the quality/variety of food was high. Daily games (football/volleyball, etc) provide further entertainment as did 'the Boat House' where things like water skiing, sailing, kayaking and wind surfing were free with the 'all inclusive' option. The pool was pretty limited (we didn't use it once during the fortnight) but the beach/sea made up for it with reasonable snorkelling 20 yards from the sun lounger including flounder fish, cat fish, crabs and plenty of other tropical fish (and sea cucumbers!). In hindsight, I would definitely have gone to Mauritius later on in the year -November onwards - as it rained at some point every day (sometimes short bursts, but there were c. three days when the sun did not come out at all and it was very cloudy throughout the fortnight). That said, our holiday flew which is probably a positive reflection on the hotel. We definitely recommend the hotel for couples and/or families although expect a quiet and relaxing holiday. However, we will probably not go to Mauritius again as it is a very long way to go simply for a couple of weeks in the sun, which is not guaranteed (we are from the North of England and calculated that we were travelling for c. 20 hours returning home and all of our flights were on time!).

We stayed here for a week, and for a week at Legends on the other side of the island - no comparison The beach is lovely, and the surrounding gardens very attractive, but the hotel itself was a bit hi-di-hi. The rooms were like a Florida motor hotel, a bit dated, damp and ours was permanently infested with ants. Various things like the air conditioning stopped working, and when it did work it was very noisy. Our room backed on to the road, so we had to keep the bathroom door closed to cut out the traffic noise The choice in the restaurant was a bit limited, but hats off to the chef because the quality of the food was superb. There were a lot of cats wandering around the restaurant which doesnt give a very good impression There was only one bar open in the evening, where the drinks were diluted, the service average and the entertainment appalling. The only respite from it was to go to the games room to get away from it If you like your holidays with a bit of "Una paloma blanca" then this is the place! If not then go to Legends on the other side of the island

Have just returned from a week at the Les Pavillons, booked through Tristar Travel, Mauritius Connections. All the arrangements by the company and their agents were great. Having read some great reports on this hotel earlier in the year I booked our holiday some months ago and then a few recent negative reports were published and I was a bit worried. I need not have been. As someone who has travelled widely including the Seychelles and the Carribean the hotel standard is good. although the swimming pool location is disappointing more of a architectural feature. The location though a bit isolated is great for a relaxing holiday and the snorkling is really good. As a previous writer stated the Boat House team are really helpful as with most of the staff. We had a superior room No 174 less than 30m from the beach. The room was clean and fresh and there were no signs of any damp or musty smells mentioned recently by one former guest. The excursions are expensive and some waste time hanging around shops you really don't want to be in. Hire a taxi. The undersea walk, which is unfortunately on the East of the island at Coco Beach a long taxi drive, is well worth the experience at £16 each. Negative points, we waited a long time for our room having arrived just after 8am. Best to confirm when the room will be available and go for a swim don't wait around. Check your mini bar on arrival and keep a list of what you use. We had two days of rain, October/ November is said to be a better time to go.

I have been prompted to write this review having read some of the latest slightly negative reviews of this hotel which I would have to disagree with. I am widely travelled having been a Seafarer for most of my working life. This was our first trip to Mauritius and we were'nt dissapointed. Myself, my wife and two children (aged 13 and 11) spent a full two weeks there in July 2005. We booked through Mauritius Connections of Manchester a specialist company who gave us a far better deal than the major operators and flew us direct from Glasgow via Dubai with Emirates. Having experienced all inclusive packages previously in Barbados, St Lucia and Tobago, we went for this option again. Although it was winter and the evenings were cool, the weather was generally breezy but good. Mauritius weather is a multitude of mico-climates and on the two wet days at the hotel, we were elsewhere on the island in glorious sunshine! The hotel is long and narrow in its layout. We booked two adjoining superior rooms and were given Nos. 31 & 32 on our arrival. This turned out to be much the quieter end of the hotel and a fair walk to the watersports and other activities, so we moved after two nights to 243 & 244. Both pairs of rooms were on the ground floor, only yards from the beach, slightly dark, but clean and of a high standard, certainly not damp. Some blocks were being completely renovated during our stay and this appeared to be a rolling programme. The Open Golf was on at the time, but the predominantly French satellite TV showed 'Le Tour' every evening. The hotel staff were superb, very friendly courteous and nothing was too much trouble for them. The mixture of a la carte and table d'hote evening meals was good and the food fresh and of a high standard, however the lunch menu could do with a little more variety. If you don't go all inclusive, be prepared for an extorsionate drinks bill, or buy your own from the local shops as many other guests with children did. The guys in the water sports pavilion were superb. We hardly saw my son when we were in the hotel - they took him fishing, gave virtually personal water skiiing tuition and let him drive the motor boats under their supervision. The water sports were unlimited, apart from by the weather and we had our money's worth many times over. On the early morning dolphin excursion we found 50-60 wild dolphins further up the coast and I was in the water with them for well over half an hour - an amazing experience made so much better because it was in their natural habitit. As for shopping, forget all the outlet malls and tourist shops and go to the market in Port Louis for anything and everything, except ship models which are well worth buying from a specialist shop (the taxi drivers will take you). Don't buy the Jewelley/Pashmina's/Snorkels etc from the beach vendors - the same goods are much cheaper elsewhere. If you want to play golf, don't bother with the course at the hotel next door, they aren't very friendly. Take a 20 minute taxi ride to the Heritage, which is about 20 minutes in a taxi and well worth it. A wonderful course with fantastic views and a suptuous club house to return to. The hire clubs are either Mizuno or Taylor Made! Don't bother with a hire car or the rep organised tours. Just book one of the hotel's resident taxis the night before for the next day. The hotel will give you a huge packed lunch. We had two full days with Vignesh touring the North and South halves of the island for 1800 rupees (about £36) per day. Its normally 2000 per day, but we got a discount as he took us to play golf too. The island is beautiful and the roads much better than the Caribbean, although much busier too. Sights to see are the Chamarel Falls and the Coloured Earths, the Black River Gorges, Grand Bassin, the volcano in Curepipe, a beautiful plantation house, the Pamplemousses Gardens and a sugar factory, the best of which is near the gardens. We will definitely return to Mauritius and probably to Les Pavillons, but more likelym in the recommended months of Oct/Nov or April/May.

Just returned from our honeymoon at Les Pavillons and we loved it. After many months of frantic preparation for the 'big day' we needed somewhere to relax and unwind, and Mauritius and Les Pavillons hit the spot. Accommodation is in plantation-style chalets, with a number of rooms in each chalet. We opted for a 'deluxe' room, which occupied the whole of the first floor of our chalet (two superior rooms directly underneath) and was very spacious and light - with decent sized bathroom, enormous bed, walk-in wardrobe and its own secluded balcony. The bathroom had a huge jacuzzi bath, which is perfect for honeymooners and romantics ... erm, let's just say we didn't need the satellite TV! I'd describe the furnishings as comfortable rather than luxurious, but we felt right at home and chilling out on the balcony with a rum'n'coke was heaven. The hotel itself had a relaxed air, staff were extremely friendly and service second-to-none. Our maid wins the prize for an amazingly thorough job cleaning our room every day, but all the staff were welcoming and very helpful. One of the highlights for us was the food, plenty of it and freshly prepared with range of themed nights and changing table d'hote menus/specials at the main restaurant - we were there for two weeks and did not need to take the a la carte option. The Creole buffet night with Sega dancing is particularly recommended. We spent quite a lot of time outside the hotel so 'all inclusive' didn't make sense for us ... count on about £2.20 for a bottle of beer, £4 for a rum cocktail, and around £20-25 for bottle of wine, and around £5-10 for lunch. Activity-wise the hotel has plenty, especially water-sports with laser sailing, windsurfing, kayaks, snorkelling, water-skiing and a variety of boat trips on offer. The hotel's beach is on a crystal clear, calm, shallow lagoon so it's all pretty safe but watch out for the coral when capsizing your boat ... ouch!! The Morne is ideally positioned for heading up into the mountains nearby, with some fine walks in the Black River Gorge and easy trips to Chamerel waterfall and coloured earths. For the more adventurous there's some strikingly pointed mountains further north, we tried to climb up 'Le Pouce' but gave up after losing the track 4 times due to overgrown bush ... Mauritius is still pretty wild in places, which is a good and bad thing! Biggest headache further north is trying to get through Port Louis, avoid at rush hour ... but worth the effort for the Botanical Gardens at Pamplemousses. Our only grumble was the weather. Mauritius is touted as an all-year destination, but "tropical island paradise" equates to "warm and lots of sunshine" in my book. There were warm and sunny days (bliss!), but equally there was a lot of rain and on a number of days almost continuous strong winds which made the beach a chilly proposition even in the sun. Real shame, and I don't think we were just unlucky. Locals advise on Oct-Dec being the best time of year to come. All in all though, a great holiday!